Objective: Istanbul Okmeydanı Research and Training Hospital is one of the most common health care centers in where declaration of brain death is documented. In this paper, we would like to share our experience about brain death determination, problems, and the role of trauma in this issue.
Method: Between September 2007 and January 2012, 62 brain death and 18 multiorgan donors were detected in Okmeydanı Research and Training Hospital. All patients record were retrospectively reviewed. The patients age, gender, hospitalization time, the cause of death, brain death detection method and the blood groups were recorded.
Results: Totally 62 brain deaths and 18 organ donors were detected. There were 45 males and 17 womens with a mean age of 41 (range:2-84) years old. The mean time for determination of brain death was 106,2 hours (range: 16- 600 hours). Apnea test was performed in all patients. Trauma cases were found at 36 (%58) patients and non-trauma cases were 26 (%42). Traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage was the most frequently identified pathogenesis. Other problems were spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage and intracerebral hemorrhage.
Discussion: The approach of health care personnel approach is one of the most important factors for brain death determind This is the responsibility of the health care team. In particular, brain death should be kept in in patients with head injury. The medical team should act in professional way and give attention to increase the number of organ donations.
Key words: Brain death, cadaver, apnea test, transplantation
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